THE antiquity and lustre of the noble family of Spencer, appear evidently in the pedigree of his Grace the Duke of Marlborough, Vol. I. of this work, where it is recited, that CHARLES SPENCER, third Earl of Sunderland, by his second Lady, Anne, daughter and coheir of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, was father of four sons; viz.

1. Robert, Lord Spencer, who died an infant.

2. Robert, third Earl of Sunderland, who departed this life unmarried.

3. Charles, fourth Earl of Sunderland, and second Duke of Marlborough. And,

4. The Honourable John Spencer, of whom, and his descendants, we are here principally to treat.

The said Hon. JOHN Spencer was born on May 13th, 1708; and after an education at home, suitable to his noble birth, accomplished himself further by visiting foreign countries. In January, 1731-2, he was elected member of Parliament for the borough of Woodstock, in the county of Oxford, and was returned by the same corporation to the next Parliament, 1734. He was also at the same time chosen one of the Knights of the shire for the county of Bedford, but took his seat for Woodstock, for which he was again returned at the general election in 1741; as he was also in December 1744; having vacated his seat by accepting the offices of Ranger and Keeper of his Majesty's Great-Park at Windsor, which fell to him upon the death of his grandmother, Sarah Dutchess of Marlborough, and was the only place he was allowed to accept by her Grace's will. He likewise, at the decease of her Grace, succeeded to a very great estate, as is

fully set forth in her said will'; but departed this life, at his seat at Wimbledon, in Surrey, on June 20th, 1746, and was buried at Althorpe, in Northamptonshire: his death was justly esteemed a national loss, for his private munificence, and his steady adherence to the interest of his country, having constantly concurred in the senate with those who endeavoured to promote its liberty and welfare.

On February 14th, 1733-4, he wedded Lady Georgina-Carolina, third daughter of John Carteret, late Earl Granville: and by her Ladyship (who, on May 1st,1750, remarried with William late Earl Cowper, and died August, 1780), he had a son,

John, first Earl Spencer; and a daughter,

Diana, who was born in May, 1735, and died about six years old.

His only son, JOHN, FIRST EARL SPENCER, was born on December 18th, 1734, and having been educated under the best masters at home, travelled into foreign countries for his further improvement.

In December, 1757, he was elected Member for the town of Warwick; was created VISCOUNT SPENCER, and Baron Spencer, of Althorpe, in the county of Northampton, by letters patent, bearing date April 3d, 1761; and was advanced to the dignity of EARL SPENCER, and Viscount Althorpe, by letters patent, bearing date November 1st, 1765. His Lordship was likewise High Steward of St. Albans, and one of the Vice Presidents of the British Lying-in Hospital.

His Lordship died October 31st, 1783, having married, on December 27th, 1755, Margaret Georgiana, eldest daughter of Stephen Poyntz, of Midgeham, in the county of Berks, Esq. by whom he had issue one son,

George-John, now Earl Spencer; and four daughters.

2. Lady Georgiana, born June 9th, 1757, and married, June 6th, 1774, to William Cavendish, the present Duke of Devon. shire; and died March 30th, 1806.

3. Lady Henrietta-Frances, born June 16th, 1761, married, in November, 1780, to Viscount Duncannon, now Earl of Besborough.

4. Lady Charlotte, born August 26th, 1765, died in September, 1766, and was buried at Althorpe. And,

This was the paternal seat of the Sunderland family, which, with the an. cient patrimony, seems to have been allotted to the younger son on their accession to the Marlborough estates.

5. Lady Louisa, born April 4th, 1769, who died a few days after, and was buried at Althorpe.

George-John, only son, succeeded his father, as SECOND EARL SPENCER. He was born Sept. 1st, 1758; was educated, first, at Harrow school, where he had for his tutor the celebrated Sir WilJiam Jones; and afterwards at Cambridge. While a Commoner, he represented Northamptonshire in Parliament.

In 1794, he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, which he held till 1801; and in 1806, was appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department, which he held only a year.

His Lordship married, March 6th, 1781, Lavinia Bingham, eldest daughter of Charles first Earl of Lucan, by whom he has had issue,

1. John-Charles, Viscount Althorpe, M. P. for the county of Northampton; and a Lord of the Treasury, 1806.

2. Lady Sarah, born July 29th, 1787.

3. Richard, born October 18th, 1789, died January 20th, 1791. 4. Robert Cavendish, born October 24th, 1791, a Midshipman on board Le Tigre, Captain Hallowell.

5. Harriet, born February, 1793, died in the following month. 6. Georgiana-Charlotte, born August 13th, 1794.

7. Frederick, born April, 1798.

8. A son, born December 21st, 1799.

Titles. John Spencer, Earl Spencer, Viscount Althorpe, Viscount Spencer, and Baron Spencer, of Althorpe.

Creations. As above-mentioned.

Arms. Quarterly, Argent, and Gules, in the second and third quarters, a fret, Or; over all, on a bend, Sable, three escallop shells of the first; a crescent for difference.

Crest. In a ducal coronet, Or; a griffin's head, Argent, collared, with a bar gemell, Gules, between two wings erect of the second.

Supporters. On the dexter side, a griffin, per Fess, ermine and erminois on the sinister, a wyvern, ermine: each gorged with a collar, fleury, counter fleury, and chained, Sable; the collars charged with three escallop shells, Or.

Motto. DIEU DEFEND LE DROIT.

Chief Seats. At Althorpe, in Northamptonshire; and at Wimbledon, in Surrey.

Or this family, which has been long seated at Blandford, in the county of Dorset, as will appear under the title of Lord Rivers, was THOMAS PITT, Esq. born in that town, son of the Rev. John Pitt, Rector of Blandford, co. Dorset, who died 1672.

He was by Queen Anne appointed governor of Fort St. George, in the East Indies, where he many years resided, and there purchased, for the sum of 48,000 pagodas (20,400l. sterling), that extraordinarily fine diamond, weighing 127 carats, which he sold to the King of France for 135,0001. sterling, and which to this day is styled Pitt's diamond. In 1715, he was appointed a Commissioner for building fifty new churches, and on July 6th, 1716, constituted governor of Jamaica; whereupon his seat in parliament for Old Sarum being vacated, he was elected for Thirsk, in Yorkshire. He repaired and beautified the church of Blandford St. Mary, in Dorsetshire (as appears by an inscription on the wall over the entrance of the aisle); and those of Stratford, in Wiltshire; and of Abbotston, in Hampshire.

a "On the 30th December, 1709, the Directors of the East India Company chose Mr. Gulston Addison, an eminent Merchant, residing at Fort St. George, Governor and President at that place, in the room of Thomas Pitt, Esq. who, it is said, has desired leave to come home." Gent. Mag. 1786, p. 781.

b But for a more particular description of this valuable diamond, we must refer the reader to the Museum Britannicum, p. 69, and seq. published, in 1778, by John and Andrew Van Rymsdyk; and for the exact representation of it in its different states, to Tab. xxviii. of the same work, which exhibits a great variety of natural curiosities belonging to that noble and magnificent cabinet, the British Museum. See also some account of it in Gent, Mag. Vol. LVI. p. 781. The diamond was shipped from Fort St. George, 8th March, 1701-2. It was sold to the Duke of Orleans, for the French King, about 1717. It was about the size of a pigeon's egg.

He married Jane, daughter of James Innis, son of Adam Innis, of Reid-hall, in the shire of Murray, in Scotland (grandson of Sir Robert Innis, of Innis, in the said county, Bart.), by the Lady Grisel Steuart, daughter of James Lord Down, and Earl of Murray (who married Margaret, Countess of Murray, daughter and heir of James Steuart, Earl of Murray, natural son of James V. King of Scotland, and base brother of Queen Mary), and had issue by her (who died January 10th, 1727), three sons and two daughters; viz.

1. Robert Pitt, of Boconnock, in Cornwall, Esq. of whom hereafter.

2. Thomas, who, in the years 1713, 1714, and 1722, was elected to parliament for the borough of Wilton, in the county of Wilts, was a Colonel of horse; and having married Lady Frances, daughter and coheir of Robert Ridgeway, Earl of Londonderry, (whose ancestor, Sir Thomas Ridgeway, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, was sent into Ireland, and there planted the first Protestant colony), was, by privy-seal, dated at St. James's, May 4th, and by patent, at Dublin, June 3d, 1719, created Baron of Londonderry, in the kingdom of Ireland; and, in the year 1726, was further advanced to the titles of Viscount of Galen-Ridgeway, and Earl of Londonderry, in the said kingdom, by privy-seal dated at Kensington, September 7th, and by patent at Dublin, October 8th. In 1727, he was chosen member to parliament for Old Sarum; but his seat was vacated on his being constituted Captaingeneral and Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Leeward Islands in America. He died at St. Christopher's, on September 12th, 1729, aged forty-one; and his corpse being brought over to England, was interred at Blandford St. Mary's, in Dorsetshire. He had issue by his said wife, two sons and one daughter; Thomas and Ridgeway, successively Earls of Londonderry, who both died unmarried, whereby that title became extinct; and Lady Lucy, wife of Pierce Meyrick, of Bodorgan, in the county of Anglesea, Esq.

3. John Pitt, Esq. who served in the British Parliament for the boroughs of Hindon, Old Sarum, and Camelford, and was a Colonel in the first regiment of Foot guards, and Lieutenant-governor of Bermudas. He married Mary, eldest daughter of Thomas, and sister of Thomas, Viscount Fauconberg, and died on February 9th, 1744, without issue.

4. Lucy, married February 24th, 1712, to James Stanhope, Esq. created Earl Stanhope (mother by him of Philip Earl Stan